The American Heart Association has named Jamie, a second-grade student at Miami Shores Elementary School, as a national Youth Heart Ambassador for the 2026-27 school year. The announcement was published Aug. 26, 2026. Jamie will join other youth volunteers nationwide to support the Association’s school-based health programs and serve as a local representative to promote healthier school environments.
Youth Heart Ambassadors serve as volunteer spokespeople who raise awareness about heart disease and stroke and encourage healthier habits among peers. Ambassadors use their personal stories to connect with students and families and help promote the American Heart Association’s school initiatives, including the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge. Selection is based on applicants’ personal experiences with heart disease or stroke and on demonstrated passion for helping others live longer, healthier lives. Students across the country applied for the volunteer positions.
Jamie’s connection to heart disease began with a routine EKG screening at age 6 that detected an atrial septal defect. According to the release, Jamie underwent surgery to repair the defect and later required a second procedure to address a dangerously fast heartbeat. The AHA uses Jamie’s experience to underscore that congenital heart defects can affect children early in life and that timely detection can be lifesaving.
Backed by the American Heart Association, the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge are described as science-based, service-learning fundraising programs. These programs aim to empower students to develop healthy habits, strengthen character, and discover purpose while raising funds for research and education focused on heart disease and stroke prevention, cardiac emergency preparedness, and related work.
The programs encourage student activity, confidence-building and community service as part of fundraising efforts that support the AHA’s mission to fund lifesaving research and education. The release highlights that the initiatives provide students with opportunities to learn lifesaving skills and to contribute financially to the Association’s work.
Schools are invited to register to take part in the Kids Heart Challenge and American Heart Challenge for the 2026-27 school year; registration information is available on the AHA website. The AHA accepts applications for Youth Heart Ambassadors year-round through the organization’s youth ambassador page. The release points readers to heart.org/jointhechallenge for school registration and to heart.org/youthambassador for information and applications for the ambassador program.
The American Heart Association describes itself in the release as a relentless force for longer, healthier lives, committed to equitable health in all communities and a longstanding source of health information. The organization notes it supports its work through volunteers and funds groundbreaking research, policy advocacy, and educational resources to save and improve lives affected by cardiovascular disease and stroke.
The release includes a regional AHA quote from Nikki Rapaport, regional senior development consultant for school engagement in Miami, who said Jamie exemplifies how young people can use their voices to create healthier futures and that the Association is proud to have Jamie represent the community.
For media inquiries, the release lists Melissa Solis with an email contact provided in the source. Public inquiries and general contact information include the AHA National Center address in Dallas and customer service phone numbers. The AHA and stroke.org websites are referenced as primary organizational resources.
The release situates Jamie’s selection amid broader youth health challenges and cites a JAMA Network article on trends in U.S. children’s health for contextual reference; the full citation for that article appears in the source. The release also includes multimedia resources and images associated with the Youth Heart Ambassador spotlight and references the AHA/ASA Multimedia Materials Usage Policy for those assets.
This summary and rewrite adhere to the facts and details reported in the original AHA News release published Aug. 26, 2026. No additional clinical recommendations or external data were added beyond what the source provided.